Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1887-04-01
The Loss Of The Helen Mar.

The Loss Of The Helen Mar.
Before entering upon the strange
narrative which the entreaties OF q few
friends, already cognizant OF the facts,
and strong sense ofduty have finally
impelled me to make public, l wish to
say that ] am not now, nor ever have
been an unduly superstitious man.
Still I am convinced, both from Ger.
tain events within my own experience,
and from others that have been re-
lated to me by persons of undoubted
veracity, that the ordinary sequence
of natural cause and effect is some
times violated in manner totally in
'expllcable to human reason.
The following particulars of the
laundering OF the ship "Helen Mar"
off the Bermudas are facts that came
under my own personal observation,
and relate them in the hope of there
10y clearing myself, as officer of the
deck at that time of the ill-fated YES
sci, from the charge of mismanage-
ment which has been laid at my door.
Being the sole survivor of the disas-
ter, am the sole witness as to the
strange cause oft, and am we'll aware
that my attempt at explanation will
be received by many with incredulity
and derislon.
On the 18th day of August, 1869, the
New England whaling barque Helen
Mar, OF which / was then second
mate, put into the port of Pernam-
buco to take up letters which awaited
us in the hands of the ships agent.
We expected to run thence to Bermu-
da to receive our supplies, and there
lore did not come to anchor; but wind
and weather being favorable, laid "off
and on" outside the harbor. My boat
was told off to convey the captain
ashore. and we lowered from the ship
just after sunrise, intending to finish
our business SO as to get aboard and
make sail again in the afternoon. Our
supply OF vegetables had run short.
and the captain was anxious to make
Bermuda as soon as possible to re.
plenlsh it. On arriving at the wharf,
the captain directed me to leave
u man in charge of the boat, and,
taking the rest of the crew with
me, to 90 into the town and endeav-
or to find three Or four men will
ing to ship, to fill the places of these
who had deserted at our last port.
We accordingly separated soon after
landing, and proceeded up the broad
street that fronts the harbor, knowing
that my chances of success were great
or there owing to the proximity of the
shipping and numerous boarding
houses and rumshops frequented by
seamen. I soon succeeded in finding
two men, deserters from an English
merchant-man, and dispatched them
to the Office of the American consul,
where the captain was employed at
that hour.
Desiring to find a third man I
turned into q garishly furnished
8rog-shop that seemed a like.
Upon entering / found myself in a
spacious hall at the farther end OF
which stood a bar, presided over by q
sinister-looking Portuguese. TO my
surprise the wallis were hung round
with cages containing parrots, macaws
and other native birds, and the air
was filled with their discordant cries.
In the centre Of the hall was stout
pillar at the base of which was tied q
large, ferocious-lookinp baboon, that
tugged at his chain aud CRASHED his
long, sharp teeth in q way anything
but reassuring to customers. Stand
ing listlessly over this uninviting brute,
and apparently quite needless OF it's
teeth and claws stood tall,
swarthy-looking fellow, evident-
~ a Malay, who regarded
me with looks OF eager interest. He
was a typical specimen Of his race and
was clad in loose white gsrment, con-
fined at the waist by . red sash; q
sort Of turban was wound about his
head, and from his ears dangled = pair
"a AftEts6 SAVeE CE06CeHLS 0eelllk ITO III
conversation with the bartender, he
gradually sided up. and sitter learn
Ing that was an officer Of tho whaler
asked me II ! wished to ship any men.
I said that ] did, and finding that time
was growing short, agreed to take him
without further parley. We proceeded
to the consuls Office, and ne WAS there
enrolled as q member Of the ships
crew. The captain being anxious to
get aboard again, led the way to the
boat, and. with our new men, we were
soon under way to the vessel. The.
mate, seeing us approach, shortened
aail, Stacked of his head sheets, and
'''hove tho vessel to" for us, and We
aeon boarded her
We then made sail again. and / had
the satisfaction Of seeing that my Ma.
lay Was practied seaman, and asa
tive as q cat about the rigging. Att
& r We had been three days out, one OF
the foremost hands came to mo and
reported that the Malay was 20 ill as
to be unable to 90 on watch, adding
that he thought he had the lever.
Alarmed BY this ntelligence I proceed
ed Immediately to the orecastle TO ex-j
anime the man. II found him stretch
ssed out upon couple 81 go chests
dirsctly under tho open scuttle and